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Committed to Excellence

Superintendent’s Message

Dear Islip Families:

On Tuesday, September 5th, it was my privilege to welcome back an insightful, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and compassionate faculty and staff. Then, on Thursday, September 7th - the first day of the 2023-2024 school year, it was a joy to welcome back our students.

In the Islip School District we are blessed with a supportive Board of Education, a community that partners with us, a dedicated faculty and staff, and students that are eager, capable, and perhaps the friendliest I have ever worked with. All factors that bode well for much success in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.

Witnessing the smiles, high-fives, and hugs this morning confirmed my belief that this year will be filled with growth and achievement. As we begin the academic year, I can assure you our commitment to our students' health, safety, emotional well-being, and education is stronger than ever. Across the District, we have been hard a work preparing rigorous, stimulating, and potent programs that will provide multiple and appropriate levels of support and challenge.

I am grateful to the Islip community for their support of our budget, which will enable us to maintain existing personnel and programs, enhance others, and introduce new offerings. (See below for highlights.)

Please also mark our calendars for our upcoming meet-the teacher nights and other exciting school events. We always look forward to spending time with our students' families.

In Islip, we aspire to change student's life trajectories by engaging, inspiring, and teaching them to be lifelong learners who possess the skills necessary to succeed not only academically, but also in life.

Each day I look forward to my time in Islip, and this start of the school year has reaffirmed why I feel so blessed and why I am looking forward with great optimism. I value your continued support and partnership.

Islip is RISING, and I am immensely proud to be among you.

Please always feel comfortable contacting me directly with your questions, ideas, insights, concerns, and good news.

Best wishes for a successful, reward, and fulling year.

Sincerely,
Dennis P. O'Hara, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools 

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2023-2024

  • Security enhancements
  • Maintain all existing programs
  • Additional school counselors, social worker, and school psychologist
  • Full-time Student Support Assistant (Dean) in the middle school
  • Additional Assistant Principal in the high school
  • Increased ENL support
  • Low elementary class sizes
  • Increased time in PE for grades K-5
  • After-school clubs for elementary students
  • Literacy coaches in grades K-5 (grant-funded)
  • Inaugural Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math (STEAM) program in grades 2-5 (grant-funded)
  • KidOYO (instructional coding program) instruction in grades K-8
  • Inventing Self pilot in grades 5-9 (emotional well-being)
  • One device for every student
  • Increased opportunities for interscholastic athletics
  • Engineering course in the high school (Project Lead the Way)
  • ACT exam fees paid (juniors)
  • AP exams fees paid for all students
  • Integrated co-teaching classes on every grade level, in every building, and special class in every building
  • Meaningful & rigorous professional development for faculty and staff